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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · bear · ruler · vault · lean · spring · board · lash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com